


Strawberry-Chocolate Mess

by KuriKuri



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: (not technically AU but it's post high school), Alternate Universe - College/University, Background Hinata Shouyou/Kozume Kenma, Fake/Pretend Relationship, Friends to Lovers, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-11-10
Updated: 2017-11-10
Packaged: 2019-01-31 04:11:24
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 10,768
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12674157
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KuriKuri/pseuds/KuriKuri
Summary: “I didn’t expect to run into you two here,” Kenma says, his gaze shifting to Tetsurō, and Tetsurō stiffens a little, wracking his brain for an excuse.After all, most of the times he and Bokuto get food together, they just end up throwing fries at each other across a plastic table at Mos Burger.“We, uh – ” Testurō starts, glancing over at Bokuto.“We’re on a date!” Bokuto blurts out.





	Strawberry-Chocolate Mess

**Author's Note:**

> heeeey this was originally supposed to be for the hqbb and i finished it in like? the beginning of august? and haven't really looked at it much since, so. trying to think of a title for this when i can barely remember what happens was an adventure. also it's my first attempt at bokuroo...
> 
> anyway, thanks so much to my beta [@shittygomu](https://twitter.com/shittygomu)!

Kuroo Tetsurō has known Kozume Kenma since elementary school.

In that time, he has never seen Kenma willingly go out without his favorite handheld gaming console. It’s practically glued to his hand, and once in middle school Tetsurō had actually stolen it briefly, just to see if there was tape or superglue attached to the bottom.

This, consequently, is why Tetsurō starts to worry when he finds Kenma’s bright blue PSP on the kitchen table and Kenma nowhere to be found in their apartment.

The thing is, Kenma’s been going out a lot over the past week. At first, Tetsurō hadn’t thought much of it – getting Kenma out of his bedroom for something other than classes is usually a cause for celebration – but lately the frequency with which he’s been going out has been almost disturbing.

Whenever Tetsurō tries to bring it up, though, Kenma always gives him the vaguest of excuses, things like “meeting with a friend” or simply “I’ll be back in a few hours.” Tetsurō’s been trying his very best not to be nosy, because Kenma does have a right to his own privacy, but…

Tetsurō stares at the PSP on the kitchen table and decides it’s time to stage an intervention.

Decision made, Tetsurō fishes his phone out of his pocket and hits number two on speed dial, before pressing the phone to his ear.

“Bokuto,” Tetsurō says without preamble as soon as someone picks up on the other end.

“Hey, hey, hey,” Bokuto replies, and Tetsurō can practically hear the grin on his face. “Pick-up game tonight?”

“Actually I have something else I need your help with,” Tetsurō sighs, leaning back against the hallway wall. “Kenma’s been acting weird.”

“Oh?” Bokuto says.

“He’s been going out a lot more than usual,” Tetsurō explains, fiddling with a loose string at the edge of his t-shirt. “And today he left without taking his PSP with him.”

“But he took his phone with him, right?” Bokuto replies. “I’m pretty sure he uses it more for gaming than actual phone stuff.”

“Phone stuff?” Tetsurō snorts, the corners of his mouth quirking up into the barest hint of a smile.

“You know what I mean,” Bokuto huffs, and for a moment Tetsurō’s distracted by the thought of how cute Bokuto looks with his lower lip pushed out into a pout.

“Yeah, yeah,” Tetsurō replies, trying to focus back on the conversation at hand. “It’s still weird, though. And whenever I try to ask him what he’s been up to he gives me crappy excuses.”

“Maybe it’s something he’s embarrassed about,” Bokuto muses. “Are there any gaming conventions in town or something?”

“Kenma hates multiplayer games,” Tetsurō snorts, sliding down to sit on the hallway floor, his legs crossed.

“And yet he plays volleyball,” Bokuto says, his tone surprisingly thoughtful for once.

“Only because I dragged him into it,” Tetsurō sighs. Sometimes he wonders if he did the right thing, forcing Kenma to play with him, but every once in a while he’ll catch Kenma smiling softly at a text from Hinata or scowling at the latest cat photos Lev has sent him and thinks that it was worth it.

“Well,” Bokuto says slowly, breaking Tetsurō out of his thoughts, “if you’re that worried, then why don’t you follow him?”

For a moment, Tetsurō just blinks, caught off guard.

“I can’t follow him!” Tetsurō finally sputters, clenching his free hand into a fist.

“Why not?” Bokuto asks, honest confusion in his tone. “He’s been acting weird and he won’t tell you what’s going on. He could be in trouble. What if someone’s extorting him for money, bro? Or maybe it’s drugs – ”

“I would have noticed if he was on drugs,” Tetsurō snorts, shaking his head slightly (not that Bokuto can see it). “And he just bought yet another Fire Emblem game, so I don’t think someone’s trying to bully him out of his money.”

“But you still think something’s wrong,” Bokuto says, his tone steady.

Tetsurō hesitates for a moment, and then says, “Yeah.”

“I’m not saying you have to stalk him or anything,” Bokuto continues. “Just double check to make sure that he hasn’t gotten mixed up in anything too bad and then leave him alone.”

“I don’t know…” Tetsurō sighs, shifting his sitting position to draw his knees up to his chest, wrapping his free arm around them.

“How about I come with you?” Bokuto asks, catching Tetsurō off guard again. “For moral support and stuff.”

“I’m pretty sure we’ll get caught immediately if you come with,” Tetsurō snorts, the corners of his lips quirking up into the ghost of a smile. “You’re not exactly subtle.”

“Hey!” Bokuto sputters, and Tetsurō’s sure his face has turned a cute shade of pink. “I can be stealthy when I need to!”

“Oh really?” Tetsurō teases, his smile turning into a full blown smirk.

“Once I ate ten of Akaashi’s fries before he noticed,” Bokuto announces, as if it’s some impressive feat.

“Does Akaashi even like fries?” Tetsurō muses, the corners of his mouth turning down slightly as he tries to think if he’s ever seen Akaashi eat fast food.

“That’s beside the point,” Bokuto huffs. “The point is that we should find out what Kenma’s up to so you can stop worrying about him.”

For a long moment, Tetsurō’s quiet, considering the situation. The last thing he wants to do is to make Kenma think that he doesn’t trust him, but at the same time, it’s not like Kenma’s been very open with him lately.

“Fine,” Tetsurō sighs, scrubbing a hand through his already messy hair. “He’s been going out a lot in the evenings, so be ready at around six tomorrow.”

“Roger that!” Bokuto chirps, and Tetsurō feels his lips quirk up into a small, fond smile.

“Don’t wear anything weird,” Tetsurō adds.

“I’m offended that you think you have to tell me that,” Bokuto huffs, but Tetsurō can still hear the smile in his voice.

“You’re such a bad influence,” Tetsurō sighs.

“You know, Akaashi says the same thing about you with me,” Bokuto replies with a little laugh.

“And now it’s my turn to be offended,” Tetsurō says, his tone dry.

“We’ll be fine,” Bokuto assures him, typical confidence in his voice.

“If you say so,” Tetsurō relents, letting his head fall back against the hallway wall.

He already has a bad feeling about this.

\---

As predicted, Kenma heads out at six thirty the following evening, muttering something about a study session with friends from class. Tetsurō didn’t think Kenma even bothered to talk to anyone in class, but he manages to keep his mouth shut.

Instead, he waits a couple of minutes and then follows Kenma out the door.

Kenma’s eyes are glued to his phone as he walks along the sidewalk, but Tetsurō’s still careful to hang far enough back. Tetsurō pulls his hoodie down a little more over his face, trying to hide his unruly hair. It’s always a dead giveaway, especially to Kenma’s sharp eyes, and the last thing Tetsurō wants is for Kenma to spot him in less five minutes.

Unfortunately, Kenma heads into the train station. Tetsurō tries to keep as much distance between them as he can, but if he gets into a different train car than Kenma, it’ll be nearly impossible to get off at the same stop. Thankfully Kenma’s eyes seem to be well and truly glued to his phone screen, tapping at it rapidly with his nimble fingers, so Tetsurō takes a deep breath and squeezes himself into the far side of the car.

There are a decent number of people on the train, but not too many, and Tetsurō does his best to position himself so that he’s somewhat obscured by a couple of tired looking businessmen. As he watches Kenma on the other side of the train car, though, he can’t help but notice that Kenma seems to be a little more well-dressed than usual.

Kenma’s never been particularly sloppy with his appearance, but he’s never put that much effort into it either, content to wear sweatshirts and worn jeans. Today, though, he’s clad in a soft looking sweater and dark colored jeans that are definitely a little tighter than the ones he usually wears.

But before Tetsurō can spend too long pondering what Kenma’s wardrobe change means, the train comes to a halt and Kenma stands up, slipping his phone into his pocket. Tetsurō scrambles to make it off the train before the doors close again, but manages to make it, keeping his eyes on Kenma as Kenma weaves through the crowded station.

After that, it’s only a couple more blocks of walking before Kenma ducks into a surprisingly nice looking restaurant, leaving Tetsurō to hover awkwardly on the sidewalk outside.

Tetsurō spends a few moments unsuccessfully trying to peer into the windows without someone calling the cops on him before finally digging out his phone and texting Bokuto. Bokuto replies with a series of excited looking emojis and once again Tetsurō finds himself wondering if this is really a good idea.

It doesn’t take too long for Bokuto to arrive at the restaurant, but when Tetsurō finally catches sight of him, he can’t help but balk.

“I thought I told you not to wear anything weird!” Tetsurō hisses.

“But I’m not!” Bokuto protests, bottom lip protruding in that annoyingly cute pout of his.

“You look like you’re getting ready to rob a bank,” Tetsurō huffs, reaching up to tug Bokuto’s hood down, and then pulling the black knit cap off his head.

“Hey!” Bokuto squawks, trying to grab the hat, but Tetsurō shoves it into his jacket pocket, well out of Bokuto’s reach.

Tetsurō sighs and reaches out to unzip Bokuto’s black hoodie, revealing an eye-popping, neon green shirt underneath. It’s better than the bank robber getup, he supposes, but not by much.

“So, where’s Kenma?” Bokuto asks, apparently giving up on trying to get his hat back from Tetsurō.

“Inside the restaurant,” Tetsurō replies, glancing back in the windows again, trying to catch a glimpse of Kenma.

“Is he meeting with someone or something?” Bokuto asks, frowning as he follows Tetsurō’s gaze and tries to peer in through the windows too. “How long has he been in there?”

“Not too long,” Tetsurō replies, trying to suppress a smile as Bokuto practically presses his face up against the window. Thankfully there are no tables directly next to the windows inside the restaurant, and therefore no customers for Bokuto to spook. “Probably about ten to fifteen minutes. I couldn’t catch a glimpse of him through the widows, though.”

“Then let’s go in!” Bokuto announces, and before Tetsurō can even try to stop him, Bokuto pushes open the restaurant door.

Well. Tetsurō supposes he hasn’t actually had dinner yet. He sighs and follows Bokuto through the door.

“Table for two?” the hostess asks as Tetsurō catches up with Bokuto.

“Yep!” Bokuto answers, giving the hostess one of his brightest smiles. The hostess returns his smile with a slightly less blinding one before leading the two of them further into the restaurant.

Tetsurō scans the restaurant carefully, looking for Kenma. He does his best to angle himself so that he’s between Bokuto and the rest of the restaurant, because while Tetsurō’s never been known for being plain, at least he attracts less attention than Bokuto, with his bright hair and neon t-shirt.

They get seated at a small table in a far corner of the restaurant. Tetsurō opens his menu and tries to pretend that he’s actually reading it, his eyes still scanning the room for Kenma. Maybe Kenma somehow left without him noticing? Through the back door or something?

But then Tetsurō’s eyes catch on a shock of bright orange.

“Hey, is that Hinata?” Bokuto asks, bringing Tetsurō back down to earth and confirming that he’s probably not hallucinating. “I thought he was in Osaka. Oh, and Kenma’s with him!”

Sure enough, Kenma’s slouched in the chair across the table from Hinata, a soft smile on his lips as Hinata gesticulates wildly, like his small body can’t quite contain all of his pent-up energy. Tetsurō blinks at them slowly, then takes another look around the restaurant. It’s not particularly high end, but it’s certainly better than Mos Burger or KFC.

Ah.

“Hinata should have told me he was in town,” Bokuto huffs, his lower lip pushed out in a pout again. “I haven’t gotten to play against him in forever and – ”

“Bokuto,” Tetsurō interrupts, still staring at Kenma and Hinata. “They’re on a date.”

For a moment, Bokuto just blinks at him in surprise, before turning back to look at Hinata and Kenma.

“Huh,” he finally says. “I can see that.”

“We should leave,” Tetsurō says, standing up from his seat. He tries to ignore the small stab of hurt in his chest as he tears his eyes away from Kenma, who’s still smiling softly at Hinata.

So what if Kenma didn’t want to tell him he was dating Hinata? It’s not like Kenma’s obligated to tell him everything, and Kenma was probably just waiting until he was sure his relationship with Hinata was stable before saying anything about it. After all, Kenma’s been out to Tetsurō for years now, so it’s not like Kenma would really have anything to worry about, but –

Tetsurō freezes as he realizes that Hinata is looking right at him.

Before Tetsurō can turn away or hide his face, Hinata’s face splits into grin and he waves. Tetsurō has to bite back a groan as Kenma turns to see who Hinata’s waving to, and for a moment Kenma’s eyes widen in clear surprise, but then they narrow again in a way that makes Tetsurō’s skin prickle a little.

“I think they noticed us,” Bokuto adds unhelpfully, peering over the edge of his menu.

Before Tetsurō can reply, Hinata starts bounding over towards them. Behind him, Kenma hesitates for a moment, but then stands up from the table to follow, a resigned look on his face. Tetsurō is not looking forward to this conversation.

“Bokuto-san!” Hinata chirps, and Tetsurō finds himself idly thinking that no one’s eyes should be quite that shiny.

“How’s my favorite protégé doing?” Bokuto exclaims, shooting Hinata a grin which Hinata mirrors.

“Can you technically call him your protégé when he’s a pro and you’re on a college team?” Tetsurō asks, the corners of his lips quirking up into the barest hint of a smirk, as he tries to ignore how his mind is running a mile a minute. They can figure out how to get out of this awkward situation somehow, right?

“I taught him everything he knows, though,” Bokuto replies loftily, patting Hinata on the shoulder. “I’ll have to make you watch the next Panthers game with me so you can see how awesome he’s gotten at that rebound I taught him.”

Hinata lets out a little laugh, his face flushing red with both pride and embarrassment at Bokuto’s praise.

“Also the Tokai team is really good!” Hinata adds, looking at Bokuto with a childish sort of awe that he still hasn’t quite outgrown. “Getting to play against them would be like – bwah!”

“Are you two already setting up a practice match?” Kenma snorts, finally sidling up to Bokuto and Tetsurō’s table, his shoulders slouched and his hand shoved into his pockets. As much as he’s trying to act casual, though, Tetsurō doesn’t quite miss the tension in his posture.

“We should play two on two right now!” Hinata chirps, and Bokuto looks like he’s a second away from rushing out the door with Hinata.

Before they can actually make a break for it, though, Kenma says, “We already ordered our food, Shōyō.”

“Oh, right,” Hinata replies, both he and Bokuto deflating slightly.

“I didn’t expect to run into you two here,” Kenma continues, his gaze shifting to Tetsurō instead, and Tetsurō stiffens a little, wracking his brain for an excuse.

After all, most of the times he and Bokuto get food together, they end up just throwing fries at each other across a plastic table at Mos Burger.

“We, uh – ” Testurō starts, glancing over at Bokuto.

“We’re on a date!” Bokuto blurts out.

Tetsurō stares at him.

“Just like you two,” Bokuto adds, his eyes bright and wide as he looks at Kenma. Bokuto doesn’t lie often (well, beyond exaggerating certain truths), but when he does he always looks eerily sincere.

For a moment, all four of them are quiet.

Then, Tetsurō says, “Yep. We’re – dating.”

Kenma stares at him and Tetsurō wonders what he’s just gotten himself into. Bokuto Kōtarō is definitely a bad influence.

\---

Tetsurō doesn’t know how to describe the rest of the night other than “awkward.”

Both Bokuto and Hinata seem immune to the uncomfortable atmosphere, but that’s probably because of their unnaturally chipper and somewhat oblivious personalities. Tetsurō, meanwhile, feels the awkwardness keenly, and judging by the slump of Kenma’s shoulders, he’s not the only one.

In the end, Tetsurō doesn’t get the chance to talk to Bokuto about this whole… fake dating situation. Instead, Tetsurō finds himself walking back to the apartment with Kenma, a stifling, tense silence descending over them. Tetsurō doesn’t think he’s ever felt this out of place with Kenma by his side before.

It’s not until they’re back inside the apartment that Tetsurō finally manages to say something.

“You could have told me about Hinata,” Tetsurō says. His words come out a little too harsh and he winces. “I didn’t mean to make you feel like you had to hide it or anything.”

For a moment, Kenma’s quiet as he slowly takes off his shoes in the entranceway.

“It’s not like you told me about Bokuto,” Kenma finally replies, his tone carefully neutral.

_That’s because we’re not actually dating_ , Tetsurō thinks, a little hysterically. Instead, he says, “It’s pretty new.”

“So are Hinata and I,” Kenma replies, still not meeting Tetsurō’s eyes. “I don’t know if it’s going to last.”

That last statement catches Tetsurō off guard, making him shoot Kenma a surprised look.

“Oh, come on,” Tetsurō snorts, his tone lighter than before. “You two are great together. Honestly I’m kind of surprised that the two of you didn’t get together in high school.”

“It’s not that I don’t like him,” Kenma mumbles. “But he’s living in Osaka now.”

Ah. Tetsurō can see how that would be a problem.

“Hey,” Tetsurō says softly, sitting down on the floor next to Kenma, who’s still fiddling with his shoelaces. “If anyone can make a long distance relationship work, I’m sure it’s you two. You kept in touch all throughout high school.”

“Shōyō texts a lot,” Kenma mutters, although Testurō notices that a little bit of tension has left his posture.

“You should bring him around here sometime,” Tetsurō says, patting Kenma on the shoulder. “I promise I’ll spare him the shovel talk. Although if he does break your heart, I know how to synthesize at least six different poisonous chemical compounds and have access to a chemistry lab.”

“Why would I bring him over if you’re planning on poisoning him?” Kenma snorts, but there’s the barest hint of a smile on his lips as he looks over at Tetsurō.

“I’ll only poison him if he breaks your heart,” Tetsurō says solemnly, biting his lip to suppress a small smile of his own.

For a moment, Kenma hesitates, but then he says, “You should bring Bokuto over too.”

“Bokuto’s over all the time,” Tetsurō replies.

“As your friend, not as your boyfriend,” Kenma snorts, giving Tetsurō a flat look. “You two were really uptight at dinner. I’m okay with you treating him like your boyfriend, as long as you’re not making out on the couch or anything.”

Briefly, Tetsurō remembers the awkward hug that Bokuto had given him when they’d parted ways at the train station earlier, while Hinata had actually been bold enough to give Kenma a kiss. The thought of Bokuto kissing him, however chastely, makes Tetsurō’s cheeks heat, and he looks away from Kenma.

Apparently satisfied with the conversation, Kenma stands up and says, “I’m going to bed,” before heading back down the hallway, towards his bedroom, leaving Tetsurō alone in the entryway.

Tetsurō thinks about kissing Bokuto for a long time before he finally heads to bed too.

\---

Bokuto comes over the next afternoon.

“Hey, hey, hey!” Bokuto announces as Tetsurō opens the apartment door, grinning broadly. “You said you wanted to talk about – ”

Tetsurō only barely manages to slap his hand over Bokuto’s mouth before he says anything about “fake dating.” Tetsurō glances back towards the living room, where Kenma’s curled up in a large, plush armchair, but Kenma doesn’t even bother to look up from his PSP, too engrossed in his game of the week.

“C’mon, let’s talk in my room instead,” Tetsurō says in a low tone as he takes his hand back off Bokuto’s mouth and moves aside to let Bokuto into the apartment.

Bokuto’s eyes dart over to Kenma as they walk past the living room and then further down the hall to Tetsurō’s bedroom, but Kenma’s too busy with his game to acknowledge them, and Bokuto for once actually keeps his mouth shut.

However, once the door to Tetsurō’s room finally closes behind the two of them, Bokuto blurts out, “I’m sorry about yesterday! It was the only thing I could think of!”

“It’s fine,” Tetsurō sighs, collapsing back onto his bed. “We would have gotten busted otherwise.”

“Yeah, I guess,” Bokuto replies, flopping down onto the bed next to Tetsurō. There’s a considerable amount of space between them, but for a moment, Tetsurō finds his mind straying back to the thought of kissing Bokuto.

Silence reins over the room.

Finally, Bokuto says, “So, what are we gonna do about this?”

“Well,” Tetsurō replies slowly, “I told Kenma that we hadn’t been dating long, so it would be weird to announce a breakup so soon.”

“Wow, you’re already planning on when to break up with me?” Bokuto asks, a smile tugging at the corners of his lips. “I’ll have you know I’m quite a catch.”

“Whatever you say, Bocchan,” Tetsurō teases, smirking slightly.

“Hey! ‘Young master’? Seriously?” Bokuto sputters. “Are you calling me high maintenance?”

“How long does it take you to style your hair in the morning?” Tetsurō asks, arching an eyebrow at Bokuto.

“At least it’s better than just walking around with weird bedhead like you do every day,” Bokuto replies, and there’s that cute pout of his again.

Tetsurō lets out a little snort, but doesn’t reply verbally. For a moment, the two of them are quiet.

Then, Bokuto says, “So, how long are we gonna, uh, do this, then? Pretend to be dating.”

“Dunno,” Tetsurō replies, looking up at the ceiling and not meeting Bokuto’s eyes. “A week is probably too short. Two weeks, maybe?”

“Two weeks sounds good,” Bokuto agrees. He hesitates for a moment and then asks, “So how are we gonna do this?”

“Kenma thought we looked awkward last night,” Tetsurō sighs, scrubbing a hand over his face. “I think it was because you hugged me instead kissing me when we said goodbye at the train station.”

“Hugs can be romantic!” Bokuto sputters, his cheeks flushing slightly pink. Idly, Tetsurō can’t help but think it looks cute on him. “And what if we’re a couple that doesn’t like public displays of affection or something!”

“Please, you have PDA written all over you,” Tetsurō snorts, shooting Bokuto a smirk. “You’re super clingy for an owl.”

“So you’re saying I should kiss you?” Bokuto asks, biting his lower lip and looking at Tetsurō with those wide, golden-brown eyes of his.

For a moment, Tetsurō forgets how to breathe.

“I guess,” Tetsurō finally manages, his voice a little strangled. “I mean, nothing super involved, but we’ll probably have to, at least a little bit.”

“Can I try?” Bokuto asks and Tetsurō’s brain finally does short-circuit.

“Try what?” Tetsurō sputters.

“Kissing you,” Bokuto answers, like it should be obvious. “So that I don’t mess up when we have to do it in front of other people, you know.”

For a moment, Tetsurō hesitates, but then he says, “Sure, knock yourself out.”

Bokuto sends him another blinding smile and then props himself up on his elbows, scooching a little closer to Tetsurō and hovering over him. Briefly, Tetsurō’s captivated by Bokuto’s bright eyes, but then Bokuto leans in, pressing their mouths together.

Tetsurō closes his eyes on instinct. Part of him wonders if Bokuto can hear how loudly his heart is beating, but most of him is distracted by the feeling of Bokuto’s slightly chapped lips against his, gentle and sweet and way better than anything Tetsurō’s imagination could come up with the previous night.

All too soon, though, Bokuto pulls away again.

“Whoa,” Bokuto says, something close to awe in his voice. “Your lips are so soft, dude.”

“I – use chapstick?” Tetsurō manages, hoping that his face hasn’t flushed bright red.

“What kind? Can I try?” Bokuto asks, the questions coming out in rapid-fire succession. Briefly, Tetsurō can’t help but feel a little disappointed that Bokuto seems more interested in his chapstick than the fact that they just kissed.

Oh god, he just kissed Bokuto.

“Bokuto – ” Tetsurō starts.

“Kōtarō,” Bokuto interrupts, catching Tetsurō off guard.

“What?” Tetsurō asks, blinking at Bokuto.

“If we’re dating, you should call me Kōtarō,” Bokuto says, like it’s obvious. “And I’ll call you Tetsurō.”

Tetsurō decides that he really, really likes hearing Bokuto – Kōtarō? – say his name.

“Okay,” Tetsurō finally manages. He hesitates for a moment, and then adds, “Kōtarō.”

Kōtarō beams at him.

“So, we’re kissing and calling each other by our given names,” Kōtarō says. “Anything else?”

“We can probably get by with just acting normally otherwise,” Tetsurō answers, fixing his eyes back on the ceiling again. “We don’t want to go too overboard with the PDA.” Well, Tetsurō doesn’t, at least. Kōtarō probably doesn’t think anything of it, but just the feeling of Kōtarō’s lips on his were almost enough to make Tetsurō spontaneously combust. “If it comes up, we can say that I asked you out.”

“What? No way, bro,” Kōtarō protests, that pout of his returning. “If anyone were to ask out anyone, it would be me asking you out.”

“Are you saying I’m not brave enough to ask someone out?” Tetsurō asks, and although his tone is mildly offended, he can’t help but think that Kōtarō has a point.

After all, he’s been crushing on Kōtarō since high school but still hasn’t gotten up the courage to ask him out.

“No, I’m saying that you’re so absorbed in your studies that you probably wouldn’t even notice if someone was crushing on you,” Kōtarō mutters, and there’s something in his tone that Tetsurō can’t quite interpret. “Sometimes I wonder if the part of your brain which is supposed to be for romance has gotten overrun by chemistry instead.”

“I think about romance!” Tetsurō protests, although honestly the “romance” section of his brain is probably more like the “Bokuto Kōtarō” section of his brain, at this point.

“Alright, alright,” Kōtarō grumbles. “I still asked you out first, though.”

It takes Tetsurō a moment to remember that they’re talking about their fake relationship cover story, before he says, “Fine. Now, do you wanna go watch some shitty cooking shows before Kenma starts thinking that we’re off having sex or something?”

“Only if you give me food,” Kōtarō chirps.

Which, consequently, is how Tetsurō finds himself sprawled out on the living room couch next to Kōtarō, popping shrimp chips into his mouth as the two of them watch a handful of harried looking chefs try to make some sort of weird noodle dish. Kenma’s still curled up in his arm chair, tapping away at his PSP, although Tetsurō does catch Kenma shoot them a curious look out of the corner of his eye.

Tetsurō’s suddenly aware of the fact that there’s probably more space between him and Kōtarō than there should be, if they’re trying to act like a couple.

“You’re hogging the chips,” Tetsurō complains, moving closer to Kōtarō. He hesitates for a moment, but then wraps an arm around Kōtaro’s waist, pulling them flush together. Kōtarō’s thighs are muscular and warm, and briefly Tetsurō wonders what they’d feel like wrapped around his waist, but he cuts off that train of thought as quickly as he can.

“You’re just too slow,” Kōtarō huffs, digging another chip out of the bag.

In impulse, Kōtarō leans in and wraps his lips around the end of the chip, tugging it out of Kōtarō’s hand. He chews loudly and then swallows, before shooting Kōtarō a smug smirk.

However, instead of whining or telling him off, Tetsurō’s surprised to see that Kōtarō’s face has turned bright red.

“You two are gross.”

Kenma’s words break Tetsurō out of his thoughts, and he glances over to see that Kenma has shut off his game and is standing up from his chair, stretching.

“I’m going to go see Shōyō,” Kenma announces, starting to head for the door. “Don’t have sex on the couch.”

Well. Tetsurō supposes this means they’re don’t have to worry too much about making things look convincing.

\---

“Hey.”

Tetsurō look up from the mackerel he’s frying on the stove for breakfast, glancing over to see that Kenma’s decided to finally drag himself out of bed.

“Shōyō wants you and Bokuto to go on a double date with us,” Kenma mutters, hovering awkwardly in the doorway and not quite meeting Tetsurō’s eyes. “I think it’s mostly because he wants to play a two on two volleyball match with Bokuto, but…”

Kenma shrugs.

For a moment, Tetsurō hesitates, but then he asks, “Are you okay with it?”

“I haven’t been spending much time with you lately, because I’ve been going out with Shōyō,” Kenma replies, fiddling with the string on his hoodie. He pauses for a moment and then says, “I like spending time with you.”

“Well,” Tetsurō replies, a grin spreading over his lips, “you better get ready to have your ass kicked by me and Kōtarō on the court later.”

Kenma smiles back.

Which, consequently, is how Tetsurō finds himself standing down below Tokyo Tower, craning his neck as he looks up at the tall red and white metal structure. It doesn’t look any different from the last time he was here for an elementary school field trip, and briefly he wonders why he’d agreed to let himself get dragged to this tourist trap.

“Bwah!” Hinata exclaims, his brown eyes wide with excitement as he looks up at the tower. “It’s so big!”

“That’s what she said,” Kōtarō snickers, and Tetsurō rolls his eyes, but he can’t quite help the smile tugging at his lips.

“Now you can stop mistaking normal cell towers for Tokyo Tower,” Kenma says to Hinata, who seems to have missed Kōtarō’s immature joke and is still gazing up at the tower. “There’s an observation deck, if you want – ”

“Yes!” Hinata blurts out before Kenma can even finish his sentence.

Tetsurō watches on in amusement as Hinata grabs Kenma’s hand and starts dragging him over to the ticket booth. There’s a somewhat disgruntled look on Kenma’s face, but underneath it is a special sort of fondness, and after a moment, Kenma switches around his grip so that he’s actually holding hands with Hinata instead of just getting dragged along by his wrist.

“Ah, tourists,” Tetsurō sighs overdramatically.

“I’ve never actually been up on either of the observation decks,” Kōtarō says, catching Tetsurō off guard. “There was a class trip in middle school, but I was sick and missed it.”

“Well,” Tetsurō replies, “we better get you up to that observation deck, then.”

Briefly, Tetsurō hesitates, but then he reaches out to take Kōtarō’s hand in his, twining their fingers together. Kōtarō shoots him a surprised look, but doesn’t try to pull away. Tetsurō feels his cheeks heat, but doesn’t say anything more, just starts leading Kōtarō over to the ticket booth, where Kenma’s already paying for his and Hinata’s tickets while Hinata vibrates with excitement.

Tetsurō has to let go of Kōtarō’s hand in order to dig out his wallet so he can pay for their tickets, but once his hands are free again, Kōtarō doesn’t hesitate to grab his hand again, catching Tetsurō slightly off guard. Kōtarō’s hand is broad and calloused, but also warm. He grips Tetsurō’s hand a little too tightly, probably out of nervousness, but Tetsurō doesn’t even consider telling him to let go.

“Shōyō, the elevator is – ” Kenma starts, pointing in the opposite direction from where Hinata is heading.

“But taking the stairs will be more fun,” Hinata protests, his eyes still disturbingly energetic and sparkly.

“There are six hundred steps,” Kenma says flatly, which honestly doesn’t seem to phase Hinata much.

“Kenmaaaa,” Hinata complains, and briefly Tetsurō wonders if Hinata’s actually just a seven year old in a nineteen year old’s body.

“How about we take the elevator on the way up and the stairs on the way down?” Tetsurō suggests, and Kenma shoots him a relieved look.

“Fiiiine,” Hinata sighs.

In the end, Hinata seems to forget his disappointment about not taking the stairs once they get up to the observation deck. He doesn’t hesitate to tug Kenma over to the windows, practically pressing his face against the glass as he looks out over the city.

Tetsurō lets out a little snort of amusement, but his thoughts are drawn away from Hinata when he feels Kōtarō squeeze his hand a little too tightly. He frowns, glancing over at Kōtarō.

However, when his eyes land on Kōtarō’s face, he feels his heart skip a beat.

It’s not like Tetsurō’s never seen Kōtarō look at something with joy or awe before. In fact, Kōtarō’s childlike enthusiasm is almost enough to rival Hinata’s some days, so really, Tetsurō shouldn’t feel so weird about seeing Kōtarō look out over the Tokyo scenery like this, but –

But part of Tetsurō wishes that Kōtarō would look at him like that.

“Dude, part of the floor is glass!” Kōtarō exclaims, dragging Tetsurō over to the section of floor in question.

“It’s like you’re a real owl now,” Tetsurō snorts as Kōtarō steps out onto the glass, staring down at the scenery below his feet. “Shrimpy’s gonna lose his shit when he notices the glass floor too.”

“C’mon, you’re not actually standing on the glass,” Kōtarō replies, tugging on Tetsurō’s hand. “You’re not afraid of heights, are you, scaredy cat?”

“Heights are nothing,” Tetsurō says loftily, a smirk spreading across his lips as he steps out onto the glass section of the floor next to Kōtarō. “Cats always land on their feet.”

There’s less space between the two of them now that Tetsurō’s moved closer, and he can actually hear Kōtarō’s soft breathing. Tetsurō’s only a couple of centimeters taller than Kōtarō, so their eyes are level, and for a moment, Tetsurō finds himself captivated by Kōtarō’s bright golden-brown eyes.

So, he leans in for a kiss.

It’s brief, chaste, just like how Kōtarō had kissed him the other day. It barely lasts a moment, just a gentle brush of lips, but when Tetsurō pulls away again, he finds that Kōtarō has let his eyes flutter shut, long eyelashes fanned out over his cheeks. As soon as Kōtarō registers that the kiss has ended, though, he blinks his eyes back open, looking endearingly confused.

Before Tetsurō can come up with a proper excuse for the kiss, though, Hinata exclaims, “Is that part of the floor  _glass?_  So cool!”

In the end, Kōtarō gets swept up in Hinata’s energy and doesn’t ask about the kiss. Tetsurō doesn’t bring it up either. Worst comes to worst, though, he can always claim that Kenma was watching them or something, couldn’t he?

They spend a while longer on the observation deck before heading back down the stairs. It’s a little hard to walk down the narrow staircase while holding hands, so Tetsurō relinquishes his grip on Kōtarō’s hand. For a moment, he almost thinks that Kōtarō looks disappointed, but then he’s back to bounding down the stairs next to Hinata, untamed energy running wild.

Tetsurō’s hand feels too cold, so he sticks it in his pocket and tries not to miss the warmth of Kōtarō’s body heat.

“Tetsurō!” Kōtarō exclaims once they’ve finally made it to the bottom of the stairs. “Buy me ice cream!”

For a moment, Tetsurō just blinks at him, caught off guard, but then he notices the way Kōtarō and Hinata are gravitating towards an ice cream parlor a block down from the tower.

“I paid for the observation deck tickets,” Tetsurō huffs, he and Kenma walking slowly over to Kōtarō and Hinata. “You pay for your own ice cream.”

That cute pout of Kōtarō’s reappears, and for a brief moment Tetsurō is tempted to give in and buy Kōtarō ice cream, but finally Kōtarō says, “Fine. What flavor do you want?”

“I’m not going to buy any,” Tetsurō replies, waving off Kōtarō.

“Dude, I’ll pay for it,” Kōtarō huffs. “So what flavor do you want?”

Tetsurō blinks at him for a moment, caught off guard, and then a smirk spreads over his face and he says, “Well in that case, let’s actually see what flavors they have before I make my decision.”

Next to him, Kenma lets out a soft, amused snort, bringing a hand up to hide his smirk.

Which, consequently, is how Tetsurō finds himself holding a cone of strawberry flavored ice cream and watching on in amusement as Kōtarō manages to get chocolate on his nose.

“You’re a mess,” Tetsurō snorts, reaching out a finger to wipe the chocolate off Kōtarō’s nose.

“But you love me anyway,” Kōtarō chirps, shooting Tetsurō a grin. “Also you got crumbs all over yourself when we were eating shrimp chips the other day, so you’re not in a position to judge me.”

Well, Tetsurō supposes he has a point. (And not just about the crumbs.)

They fall into silence for a moment, but then Kōtarō turns to Hinata and asks, “So what are you doing in Tokyo anyway? I thought you were in Osaka.”

“The team has a break for a little while, so I came to visit Kenma,” Hinata replies from around a mouthful of violently pink, bubblegum flavored ice cream. “But I’m staying with Daichi and he’s as scary as ever. I forgot to turn off the lights and heater when I left yesterday and he gave me that angry smile that he gets when he’s trying not to be mad.”

Tetsurō lets out a little amused snort at Hinata’s put-upon expression. Sure, Sawamura might be a little intense, but it’s not too hard to deal with him once you know how he works.

“Sawamura’s at Tokai, too, isn’t he?” Kōtarō muses, licking chocolate off his lips thoughtfully. “Too bad he didn’t try out for the team, though. He’s a solid receiver.”

“Do you classify everyone in terms of how good at volleyball they are?” Tetsurō snorts, before taking a lick of his own ice cream.

“Also how cute their butt is,” Kōtarō adds, and Tetsurō almost chokes on his ice cream, making Kōtarō laugh. Part of Tetsurō is tempted to ask where he falls on Kōtarō’s “cute butt” scale, but he’s not entirely sure he wants to know the answer.

“You know, you could stay with me and Kenma if you want,” Tetsurō says to Hinata, trying to steer his mind away from Kōtarō and butts. Tetsurō glances over at Kenma and adds, “Now that I know about you two dating and all.”

“Really?” Hinata exclaims, looking over at Kenma with those bright, hopeful eyes of his.

Kenma’s cheeks have flushed a little pink, and he looks a little hesitant, but nothing about his expression says that he doesn’t actually want Hinata to say over.

“Tetsurō can stay with me,” Kōtarō offers, wrapping an arm around Tetsurō’s shoulders, making him stiffen up for a moment, before relaxing into Kōtarō’s touch. “That way you kiddies won’t have any awkward parental oversight.”

Kōtarō’s suggestive statement only makes Kenma’s face flush redder, and Hinata’s face flushes pink very quickly too.

“Just remember to use protection,” Tetsurō adds solemnly, although he’s not sure how serious he manages to look while licking up half-melted strawberry ice cream. Kōtarō laughs and Tetsurō can actually feel it, with their sides pressed so close together and Kōtarō’s arm still wrapped around him.

“T-there’s a volleyball court in the gym near your apartment, right?” Hinata sputters, and his face is so pink that Tetsurō can almost see it steaming. “We should play before it gets too late!”

“Maybe I’ll teach you another secret move,” Kōtarō announces, apparently deciding to take pity on Hinata and stop teasing him. Hinata looks up at Kōtarō with those sparkly eyes of his and Tetsurō has to bite back a smile.

Kenma, for once, doesn’t try to wriggle out of playing, and Tetsurō wonders if it’s because Hinata’s playing, or if he’s just trying to find any way to prevent further conversation about his sex life. Then again, it’s been a while since Tetsurō’s actually dragged him out for a pickup game, so maybe part of Kenma actually misses playing.

The gym is open until 11, so they still have a good amount of time to spend on the volleyball court. It doesn’t take too long for everyone to change, and honestly Tetsurō doesn’t think he’s ever seen someone change clothes as quickly as Hinata does. You’d think he’d get tired of playing volleyball all the time, considering he does it professionally.

Tetsurō watches on in amusement as Kōtarō and Hinata bound out onto the otherwise deserted court. There aren’t many people who use the volleyball court in the first place and at this time of the evening, they might as well be in their own private world.

Tetsurō reaches his arms up above his head as he begins his stretching routine, before leaning down to touch his toes. Although he’s been playing far less than he did in high school, he still jogs every day, and apparently his flexibility hasn’t suffered too much.

As he straightens back up, he catches sight of Kōtarō staring at him. For a moment, he’s caught off guard, but then he forces a smirk.

“Like what you see?” he teases, his smile all sharp teeth. Kōtarō’s face flushes a little red and Tetsurō can’t help but find it overwhelmingly cute.

“You know you’ve got a killer bod, dude,” Kōtarō finally manages, letting out a little laugh. “Not as good as mine, of course, but – ”

“You sure about that?” Tetsurō ask, their banter making him bold as he walks over to Kōtarō. “It’s kind of hard to tell with all of this – ” Tetsurō reaches out to pluck at Kōtarō shirt. “ – in the way.”

Tetsurō’s heart is beating rapidly in his chest as he waits for Kōtarō to respond, wondering if he’s gone too far.

Before Kōtarō can reply, though, Kenma says, “Are you two just going to flirt or are we going to actually play?”

“We’re coming!” Kōtarō says quickly, and Tetsurō can’t quite tell if it’s because he’s enthusiastic about the match or if he’s looking for an excuse to get away from Tetsurō’s flirting.

In the end, they play three sets. Kenma and Hinata take two of them, and to be entirely honest, Tetsurō blames it partially on himself. He finds himself distracted more often than he should be, watching the way Kōtarō’s biceps flex as he gets ready to spike and the movement of his thighs as he leaps up into the air.

It’s not like Tetsurō’s never noticed these things before. Kōtarō’s always been attractive, but it’s never been this  _distracting_  before, and briefly Tetsurō wonders if this whole fake dating thing is starting to mess with his mind (more than it already has, at least).

Tetsurō’s heart skips a beat as he watches a bead of sweat slide down Kōtarō’s neck.

He needs to get ahold of himself soon or this is going to be a problem.

\---

They shower at the gym and change back into their street clothes before parting ways, Kenma and Hinata heading back to the apartment and Tetsurō and Kōtarō going towards Kōtarō’s dorm.

“Have fun!” Tetsurō calls after Hinata and Kenma. It earns him a glare from Kenma and a blush from Hinata, and Tetsurō can’t quite suppress a snicker.

Soon enough, though, it’s just him and Kōtarō out on the late night sidewalk.

For a while, the two of them are quiet, walking together in a companionable sort of silence. They’re not holding hands anymore, and part of Tetsurō wants to reach out and twine their fingers together, but now that Kenma and Hinata aren’t around, he doesn’t have an excuse to anymore.

“Tonight was fun,” Kōtarō says suddenly, breaking the silence.

“Uh, yeah,” Tetsurō replies, a little caught off guard.

“Kinda makes me think we’d make a good couple,” Kōtarō laughs and Tetsurō stiffens, his eyes going wide. Before he can ask what Kōtarō means by that, Kōtarō notices his startled expression and adds, “I’m just joking, jeez.”

He’s pouting a little now, and Tetsurō sighs internally. It’s not like Kōtarō would know that that joke hit a sore spot.

“I’m sure you’d make a great boyfriend, Kocchan,” Tetsurō says, forcing a teasing tone and wrapping an arm around Kōtarō’s shoulders.

“Oooh, you should have used that nickname in front of Kenma,” Kōtarō replies, his pout turning into a grin. “He would have called us gross again.”

Tetsurō forces a laugh, relieved that the tension between them seems to have diffused a little.

The rest of the walk back to the dorm is occupied mostly by Kōtarō’s ramblings. Thankfully Kōtarō avoids the topic of their fake relationship, instead rambling on about how much Hinata’s volleyball skills have grown since high school and how he’s going to have to put in extra practice to make sure he doesn’t start falling too far behind. Volleyball is a comforting topic, familiar, and Tetsurō finally allows himself to relax again.

Until they get to Kōtarō’s dorm room, at least.

As a third year student, Kōtarō’s lucky to have a room to himself. It’s the size of a shoebox, but at least there’s no roommate for Kōtarō to unexpectedly spring Tetsurō on. Of course, due to the size of the room, there’s no space for a couch.

So unless Tetsurō wants to sleep on the plastic desk chair or on the floor, he’s going to have to share a bed with Kōtarō.

It wouldn’t be a big deal, really, if it were anyone else. Tetsurō’s shared a bed with Kenma a couple of times, out of convenience, and with most of the other people he’s friends with, he’d be able to treat it as a brotherly thing.

As Tetsurō looks at the slender twin bed, though, all he can think about is kissing Kōtarō earlier.

“Hey,” Kōtarō says, breaking Tetsurō out of his thoughts. “You didn’t bring any extra clothes, right? You can borrow a pair of my pajamas.”

“Thanks,” Tetsurō manages, trying not to think about how apparently he’s going to be sharing a bed with Kōtarō while wearing Kōtarō’s clothes.

He can handle this, right?

Kōtarō digs around in his dresser for a few moments before coming up with a pair of soft looking pajama pants and a neon yellow t-shirt. Tetsurō’s eyes hurt a little just from looking at it. Still, he accepts the clothes from Kōtarō.

Before Tetsurō can even look away, though, Kōtarō pulls off his shirt, the muscles of his shoulders flexing under his smooth skin. Part of Tetsurō thinks that he should be used to seeing Kōtarō shirtless by now, considering how often they share a locker room, but he finds himself staring for a moment.

Thankfully Kōtarō doesn’t seem to notice and Tetsurō finally manages to tear his eyes away.

It doesn’t take long for both of them to get changed. Kōtarō then shoves a toothbrush into Tetsurō’s hands and starts leading him down the dorm hallway to the bathroom.

“Why do you have an unused toothbrush?” Tetsurō asks, examining the plastic casing as Kōtarō unlocks the bathroom door.

“There’s a guy down the hallway who’s in the dentistry program,” Kōtarō replies, setting his things down on the edge of one of the sinks. “He gave me like five.”

Part of Tetsurō wants to ask  _why_  Kōtarō would need that many new toothbrushes, but he’s not sure he wants to actually hear the answer. Then again, Kōtarō somehow seems to collect all sorts of weird things, like toothbrushes and neon t-shirts, so maybe it doesn’t actually mean anything. Tetsurō stares at the bright pink toothbrush for a moment and wonders if the color had anything to do with it.

Tetsurō finally manages to stop speculating about the toothbrush long enough to actually brush his teeth and finish getting ready for bed, before he and Kōtarō head back to Kōtarō’s room. Kōtarō’s hair is down for once, still a little damp from the shower at the gym, and Tetsurō can’t help but stare a little as he follows Kōtarō down the hallway.

“Are you okay?” Kōtarō asks, startling Tetsurō out of his thoughts, and Tetsurō realizes that Kōtarō is still holding open the door to the room, waiting for him to enter.

“Sorry, just tired,” Tetsurō replies, shaking his head slightly.

“We better get you to bed then,” Kōtarō laughs. “I’d ask you which side you want, but there aren’t really sides.”

That comment earns a soft, amused snort from Tetsurō, and he feels himself relax ever so slightly. Why is he getting so worked up about this, anyway? Sure, he has to share a bed with  _Kōtarō_ , but at the same time it’s –

It’s just Kōtarō.

“I’ll try not to squish you against the wall, but I can’t make any guarantees,” Tetsurō snorts as Kōtarō makes himself comfortable in the small bed.

“Dude, you’re too skinny to squish me,” Kōtarō teases as Tetsurō crawls into bed next to him, and there’s a sort of warmth in his eyes that makes Tetsurō’s chest feel a little too tight.

“Just for that, I’m definitely going to squish you,” Tetsurō finally manages, turning so that his back is to Kōtarō.

“My boyfriend is so mean,” Kōtarō whines, and Tetsurō feels his heart leap in his chest. At least this means that Kōtarō hasn’t picked up on his feelings yet, because Kōtarō would definitely be too kind to tease him like this if he actually knew that Tetsurō is head over heels for him.

Instead of replying, Tetsurō leans over to hit the light switch, plunging the room into darkness.

“Goodnight,” Kōtarō murmurs, and even though there’s some space between them, Tetsurō can still feel Kōtarō’s body heat radiating against his back.

“’night,” Tetsurō replies.

It takes him a long time to fall asleep.

\---

It’s so warm.

Tetsurō wakes up slowly, blinking his eyes open groggily and squirming a little under the oppressive heat. There’s an unfamiliar weight against his back which seems to be the source of the uncomfortable warmth, and Tetsurō tries to move away from it, but something holds him back.

It occurs to Tetsurō that someone’s arm is slung over his stomach.

Tetsurō freezes as the events of the previous night resurface in his mind, and he’s suddenly, uncomfortably aware of the fact that it’s  _Kōtarō_  pressed up against him, spooning him close. Now that he’s slightly more awake, he can feel Kōtarō’s soft breathing against the nape of his neck. Sometimes Kōtarō’s lips actually brush against Tetsurō’s skin and he shivers a little.

It’s too much. It’s way too much, and Tetsurō has no idea how to deal with it all. His feelings for Kōtarō seem like they’re spiraling out of control and Tetsurō just – doesn’t know how to deal.

It’s been barely two days, but he can’t do this fake dating thing anymore.

Carefully, Tetsurō slips out of Kōtarō’s grip. It takes a bit of shimmying, and Kōtarō stirs a little bit, but he doesn’t actually wake up, much to Tetsurō’s relief. For a moment, Tetsurō just gazes at Kōtarō, at his relaxed face and messy hair, but then he turns away to start pulling on his clothes.

When he’s fully dressed, he leaves.

It’s early enough in the morning that the dorm hallway is almost completely empty, and when Tetsurō gets out onto the street, it’s not much busier. He walks back to his apartment slowly, hoping that the fresh air will help clear his head, but instead his thoughts keep straying back to Kōtarō, to the enthusiastic smile on his face when they’d played volleyball the previous night and to how good it had felt to kiss him.

Tetsurō lets out a frustrated noise and kicks a pebble on the sidewalk. He feels like a teenager all over again, back when he was trying to pretend that his interest in Kōtarō was purely friendly.

When Tetsurō gets back to the apartment, it’s quiet. Kenma and Hinata are probably still asleep, and Tetsurō heads directly for the kitchen. He needs something greasy and delicious to console himself after everything that’s happened over the past few days, and the bacon in the fridge is calling to him.

He’s in the middle of frying it when Kenma pads into the kitchen.

“Did I wake you up?” Tetsurō asks, looking over his shoulder at Kenma, who’s still clad in his pajamas.

“It’s fine,” Kenma replies, flopping down in one of the chairs at the kitchen table. “Hinata’s still asleep.”

Tetsurō lets out a noncommittal hum, focusing back on his bacon and turning it over in the pan.

For a moment, the only sound is that of the bacon sizzling, but then Kenma says, “You’re back pretty early.”

“Were you hoping to have more time alone with Hinata?” Tetsurō snorts, and he can almost feel Kenma give him a flat look in response.

“Not particularly,” Kenma replies simply. “Are you and Bokuto having relationship problems or something?”

“Oh, so now you want to talk about relationships?” Tetsurō says, a harsh edge to his tone. He winces a little as soon as the words leave his mouth, and he wonders how to take them back.

Before he can apologize, though, Kenma mutters, “I’m sorry for not telling you about Shōyō.”

“It’s not your fault,” Tetsurō sighs, turning off the stove. “You should be able to take your relationship at your own pace, but I was just – ”

_Hurt_ , is what Tetsurō means to say, but he can’t quite get the word out.

“Do you want any of this?” is what he says instead, turning towards Kenma and indicating the bacon in the pan. Kenma hesitates for a moment, but then nods, accepting a crispy strip after Tetsurō scoops it out of the pan.

“You didn’t tell me about Bokuto either,” Kenma finally says as he nibbles at the end of his piece of bacon.

For a moment, Tetsurō feels indignant, but then it occurs to him that maybe Kenma’s feeling the same way he is right now. After all, he and Kōtarō might not actually be dating, but if they were, he’d have essentially put Kenma in the same position Kenma put him in.

Tetsurō wonders if maybe he should just tell Kenma the truth about him and Kōtarō, but before he can, Kenma says, “You two make a good couple.”

“You’re not about to get all sappy on me, are you?” Tetsurō laughs, shooting Kenma a smirk and trying to ignore the pain in his chest.

“I mean it,” Kenma says, propping up his cheek on his hand as he leans his elbow against the table. “And if you two are having relationship problems or anything, you can – ” Kenma makes an uncomfortable looking face. “ – talk to me about it, I guess.”

Tetsurō can’t help but be taken a little off guard. It’s not often that Kenma voluntarily offers to talk to him about feelings, and Tetsurō can’t quite help the fond smile that tugs at his lips. However, it slides off his face again as his thoughts turn back to Kōtarō.

“It’s nothing big,” Tetsurō finally says. “I guess I just don’t feel like Kōtarō’s that into me.”

Instead of making sympathetic noises, though, Kenma lets out a snort.

“I guess book smarts really don’t make up for emotional intelligence,” Kenma says, giving Tetsurō an unimpressed look.

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Tetsurō replies, narrowing his eyes at Kenma and scowling a little.

“It means you’re an idiot for thinking that Bokuto’s not completely into you,” Kenma snorts. “He’s so painfully obvious about it that it makes my head hurt watching you two.”

Tetsurō gives Kenma an unconvinced look.

“Just talk to him. I’m sure he could give you an entire speech on how great you are,” Kenma sighs. “But I think we should both know now that the worst thing you can do is just leave him hanging.”

It occurs to Tetsurō that he didn’t even bother to leave Kōtarō a note before leaving and he stands up from his chair abruptly. Somehow he’s gotten so caught up in his own emotions over the past few days that he’s forgotten about everyone else’s.

“You and Hinata can have the rest of the bacon,” Tetsurō says, grabbing his jacket and already heading for the door.

Behind him, Kenma lets out a soft snort that almost sounds amused, but Tetsurō doesn’t dwell on it, already bolting down the hallway. It’s still early enough in the morning that there’s a chance that Kōtarō hasn’t woken up yet. At the very least Tetsurō hasn’t received any texts or phone calls asking where he is, which he supposes is a good sign, unless of course Kōtarō is feeling hurt enough that he’s not up to talking.

Tetsurō increases his pace to a light jog.

About a block away from Kōtarō’s dorm, though, he pauses. There’s a cheery looking coffee shop that he knows Kōtarō frequents, and after a moment of indecision, Tetsurō ducks inside. Kōtarō’s never been the type to stay angry for long, but hopefully an overly sugary coffee drink will be an acceptable offering after his disappearance.

It takes longer to get the coffee than Tetsurō would have preferred, but it’s kind of comforting to hold the two paper cups in front of him as he walks up the stairs to Kōtarō’s floor. They act like a shield and Tetsurō grips them a little tighter as he finally comes to a stop in front of Kōtarō’s door.

He takes a deep breath and then knocks.

No one responds.

“Kōtarō?” Tetsurō calls out, knocking a little harder this time. “Are you still – ”

Before Tetsurō can finish his sentence, though, the door swings open, revealing a sleepy looking Kōtarō, his hair falling softly over his forehead and his pajamas rumpled.

“Were you still sleeping?” Tetsurō asks, his lips turning down in a frown.

“Uh, sort of, not really, I – ” Kōtarō rambles, stumbling over his words before cutting himself off abruptly. He takes a deep breath and then looks up to meet Tetsurō’s eyes. “You left?”

It’s phrased like a statement, but Kōtarō’s tone is a little helpless and it almost sounds like a question.

“I brought back coffee?” Tetsurō offers, holding out one of the paper cups. Kōtarō blinks at it blankly for a moment but finally accepts it.

“Oh,” Kōtarō says. “Thanks.”

“Sorry I didn’t leave a note or anything,” Tetsurō replies, rubbing the back of his neck awkwardly. “I had a lot on my mind, I guess.” He pauses for a moment. “Can we talk?”

“Okay,” Kōtarō answers, after swallowing a mouthful of coffee.

“In private?” Tetsurō clarifies, glancing down the hallway.

“Oh, yeah, sorry dude,” Kōtarō replies, his cheeks flushing ever so slightly pink as he steps aside to let Tetsurō into his room. The door closes behind the two of them with a soft click, and Tetsurō can feel his heart beating fast in his chest as he turns to face Kōtarō.

“I don’t think I can pretend to date you anymore,” Tetsurō says, the words coming out in a rush.

For a moment, Kōtarō just blinks at him, looking thoroughly caught off guard.

“I – ” Tetsurō starts, but before he can finish his sentence, Kōtarō blurts out, “I’m so sorry!”

Now it’s Tetsurō’s turn to be caught off guard.

“Dude, seriously, I’m – I shouldn’t have forced you into this,” Kōtarō sighs, scrubbing a hand through his hair, making it fluff up in a way that Tetsurō would probably find cute if they weren’t in the middle of a serious conversation right now.

“Hey, it’s okay, it’s not that big of a deal,” Tetsurō says, unconsciously stepping a little closer to Kōtarō. “I thought I could handle it.”

“I’m sorry for making you uncomfortable, though,” Kōtarō replies, looking at Tetsurō with those wide honey-brown eyes of his. “And I wasn’t trying to take advantage of things, but I… kind of did in the end, I guess.”

For a moment, Tetsurō just blinks at Kōtarō, confused. He replays Kōtarō’s words in his head, but it doesn’t help him make any sense of them.

“Take advantage…?” he repeats, frowning at Kōtarō.

“That’s why you’re uncomfortable, right?” Kōtarō asks. “Because I like you?”

Tetsurō stares at him for a long moment.

“You  _like_  me?” Tetsurō finally sputters. Briefly, he wonders if he needs to get his hearing checked.

“Well, yeah,” Kōtarō replies.

“Like you’re attracted to me?” Tetsurō asks, still staring at Kōtarō. “You’d kiss me and date me for real?”

“I mean, those other kisses were pretty real for me, but – ” Kōtarō says awkwardly, but before he can finish, Tetsurō pulls him into a kiss.

For a moment, Kōtarō goes stock still, but slowly he relaxes against Tetsurō’s mouth. Tetsurō brings his free hand up to cup Kōtarō’s face, eyes sliding shut as he kisses Kōtarō slowly and deeply. Kōtarō’s mouth is warm and wet and responsive and in the back of his mind, Tetsurō wonders why he didn’t do this years ago.

Finally, though, they break apart.

“Date me for real,” Tetsurō pants, looking directly into Kōtarō’s wide, slightly dazed eyes.

“Am I still dreaming?” Kōtarō asks, a little dazed.

“I really hope not,” Tetsurō replies, the corners of his lips quirking up into a smile. “You should drink that coffee I got you if you wanna feel more awake, though.”

Kōtarō brings the paper cup up to his lips and takes such a big gulp that he almost chokes on it, coughing and sputtering, “Hot! Hot!”

“Now do you believe you’re awake?” Tetsurō snorts, but his tone is fond.

“I don’t know,” Kōtarō croaks, reaching out to fist his hand in Tetsurō’s shirt. “I might need another kiss just to make sure.”

Tetsurō gladly complies.

\---

(Tetsurō spends… a lot longer kissing Kōtarō than he intended. In the afternoon he has to leave again to grab a fresh set of clothes from his apartment, and he practically skips home, trying to suppress a grin the entire time.

“So, did you confess to Bokuto?”

Tetsurō freezes, halfway down the hallway. Kenma’s sitting on the couch for once instead of in his customary armchair, his eyes fixed on his PSP while Hinata naps against his shoulder. Hinata’s drooling little.

“What did you say?” Tetsurō finally manages.

“You and Bokuto are terrible at tailing people, you know,” Kenma replies, actually looking up from his game to shoot Tetsurō an unimpressed look. “If you wanted to know what was going on with me, you could have just threatened to drag me out running with you or something.”

For a moment, Tetsurō just stares at him. He’s had far too many surprises sprung on him today.

“I’m sorry,” he finally says. “I was just worried.”

Kenma’s quiet for a moment, but then says, “I get why you did it. Just don’t do it again.”

“I won’t,” Tetsurō assures him. “It was a shitty idea.”

“At least I had some fun watching you and Bokuto pretend to be a couple,” Kenma replies, shrugging and turning back to his game. “You were really awkward.”

“I am going to pretend you didn’t just say that,” Tetsurō grumbles, before turning to head towards his room.

“You can tell Bokuto I’ve forgiven him too,” Kenma calls after him lazily.

Tetsurō sighs.)

**Author's Note:**

> i'm [here](https://twitter.com/authorkurikuri) on twitter, and on tumblr i'm [letaizawarest](https://letaizawarest.tumblr.com) but they're both 99% bnha/erasermic so if you're not into that...


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